Quick Silver lying in the snow
by C. M. Spinks
Summary: One-shot. Sad. Short. To do with the Crystal Empire


My name is Quick Silver.

I think to myself over and over and over. I need to remember. I may be the only pony to have escaped Sombra's menacing presence. I may be the only pony who can get help. I may be the only pony who knows how to break his curse.

My name is Quick Silver.

I came from the Crystal Empire.

I escaped Sombra.

I escaped his curse.

Now I need to remember. I need to remember everything. How I worked close to him, kept my enemy close enough to study. I may not be an Equestrian unicorn, but I'm not stupid. I read enough of his studies on magic to know how it works and how to undo his curse on the Empire. But it is wearing down on me, even though I escaped most of it. It is trying to eat my memory.

My name is Quick Silver. I watched, horrified, as the entire city began to sink. It was only because of my speed, my talent, that I escaped it myself. My loved ones are trapped in the earth, in a sleep. Gods, I wished I could have broken away sooner, to ask for help from the Equestrian Princesses. To save my country. My own memories even. It was sheer luck that they showed up, that they learned of Sombra's tampering on their own. But in his failure he made a grab for some victory. I knew he would. I saw his designs. I memorized his battle plans. He was not an idiot.

My name is Quick Silver. I drudge through this cursed snow, shivering and spasming as I go. I am trying to escape this snow, to find the warmer lands of Equestria. My only hope is there. I try to run, but by the gods I only gain a face of snow and bruised knees with that attempt. I get up, again, but my vision is blurry. I do not know where I am. I do not know if I am going the right way. I only follow my heart to find my way, but it is a foolish endeavor and I know it. I have to try, though. I have to try.

Reminiscing… I was the youngest pony in the College at the time to get my cutie mark. I have always loved to run, to speed. My love of metal is the same. I did not know, at the time, that a cutie mark could be a talent two-fold. My knowledge of metals is renowned throughout Equestria, Stirrup, Saddle Arabia, and the Aeries of the Griffon lands. I am skilled, and quick in my artistry, making me a valuable item in the eyes of Sombra. I was forced to design great battle armor that would aid him always. I was forced to personally make the chains that bound not only me but my family and friends, my former king and queen and their young foals. I was made to forge the cursed blades that would later kill my leaders. In my anger I swore I would do anything and everything to undo Sombra's terrible workings. Now, now I am lost.

I weep, even in this terrible cold, for my actions and for his. That stallion… he has wrenched order from my world. He has stolen my happy nature and my guilt-free conscience. I am now bound in blood he has spilled and in the deaths he has ordered. The tears freeze, chillingly burning lines in my face.

I stop, my hooves heavy with ice and snow. My breath stings in my throat. My vision is numb and weak. My mind is similarly numb and aching.

My name is Quick Silver. I am very frighteningly sure that I am going to die here. I begin my drudge again. I must try to stay alive, mustn't I? I am fearful of death.. I am fearful of a second failure. My beloved family… my country… do I not owe them this much? My body halts again, refusing to respond.

"Damn it! Damn it!" I scream, unable to hold it in. More tears leave me. I remember the blow Sombra dealt me when he suspected treachery. The knife is still embedded in my coat. I could not pull it from my side. I realize now it is best I left it there, for otherwise I would more easily bleed out. But the cold metal bites me, and with the last step I took, it sent me reeling. I fall to my knees, all four legs bent under me.

Finally, resentfully, I pull it out, and shove ice into the deep wound. Blood soon stains and melts the ice, and all I feel is a different kind of bite. I hoped ice would numb it, steal my pain. I replace the ice and find the same result. Regardless, I continue until the snow and ice no longer absorbs any new blood. The cold has helped after all.

I get up, off my back, and begin again. My wound opens almost immediately. I nearly scream. I bite my lip to suppress it, for nopony's sake but my own.

My name is Quick Silver. I know nothing of the winter lands I inhabit. I know nothing of healing and survival. I know nothing of dealing with pain. I am a weak little mare, scared and lost and cold and dying. My silver shining body reflects red and white as I stand still in the blizzard. I am afraid, and yet I feel I must not, that it is foalish of me to feel so in the wake of the disaster behind me. I force myself to keep going on, my stomach belching forth precious life-energy.

My name is Quick Silver. For hours it has been so that I have walked on and on. I try to hold onto my name. I keep saying it, a mantra of faith and hope and survival. My steps are small, however, and I am pale, even for my shining silver coat. How weary my eyes must look, my dark gray irises dull and pained. Finally, I can take no more. My body denies me power over it, and I collapse onto my back, legs spread eagle in the snow. I stare into the snowy skies overhead. I close my eyes and remember, doing all I can to hold onto my weakening life.

"_So, you are the blacksmith whose skills are so worldly famous? I had expected a stallion to be honest." A dark stallion appears over my workbench, surrounded by more like him. _

"_No, anypony who knows metals like I do could work them like I do. Sex has nothing to do with it, mister…?" I ask, curious. _

"_My name is Sombra. But I am afraid you must call me King Sombra."_

"_Pardon?"_

"_You see, I am going to rule this place. You are going to help me take control, by making me weapons and armor and chains. And you have no say in the matter."_

"_I am a free mare, I will have you know! You hold no power over me." I stand, gaining the defensive movements of the surrounding dark stallions as they fall into a fighting stance. _

"_No, you see, my stallions will kill everypony you care about if you refuse. That makes your choice easy and clear: do as I say." He smiles awfully. I bow my head, knowing futility._

"_Those princesses… how could they have known? I have made sure all our exports are as they were before, all messages the same style and wordage as previous… nopony should have known of my take over… unless…" He looks at me, and I shrink away. "Unless somepony snuck a letter out. Only one or two ponies who might betray me have the knowledge __**and**__ ability to get word out to them requesting for help. You, dearest Silver, are one of them." He walks toward me menacingly. I shy away even more, but I can find no more refuge in the wall than I already have._

"_My lord, wait, twas not me! I have been ever at your side, I have had no __**time-**__" I try to explain. Truly, I do not know how this happened, how the regal sisters came to find out._

"_I will not bear your lies, mare! Now you will die by a blade you yourself forged!" Quick as lightning, too fast for me to know, he has taken out his dagger, named Dodge, and laid it to rest in my side. I scream, and fall down the wall in pain. "Now you will stay here while I deal with your mistake!" I watch, trying to recover, as he leaves with all his guards. When they are out of sight, I stand, painfully. I make my way to a window, and see that the battle between the two gods and the self proclaimed king has already begun. I must tell them his weaknesses, I must warn them of his back up plans and tricks. I stagger down hallways, running as fast as I can all the while regretting the blade's birth as it claws me. _

_By the time I reach the outside, Sombra has fallen, defeated. But I know better. _

"_Princesses hurry! A killing blow!" I shriek, but nopony can hear me, even at my loudest volume. The screams of victory are false but loud, deafening. Even were they to hear me, it is too late. He is already casting a curse to send us all into the earth, to sleep. I run harder than ever. If I can escape, I can tell the Princesses how to reverse it, how to defeat him… My heart pounding, beating itself against my chest like a caged animal, I run. The spell takes effect, sending my home to a dark world I've never known. I leap, at the very last moment, to safety, to snow, to blinding white blizzards…I need to find the princesses, and provided they escaped, we can hopefully save my home and truly defeat the villain that cursed it. I dreadfully walk forward, the same snow and blinding white blizzards claiming me…_

Now I lay here, all of my actions vain. I am losing my blood far too quickly, and even if it were not for that, it is too cold. I am suffering from hypothermia. I am surer than ever that I die today. My family, my friends, my home, they will rise again but I will not be there for them. I thought… I thought I could hasten their return… but I am a failure. My destiny, it seems, is not for me to be a hero. I am a failure and a weakling and I am dead now. All of my actions have lead to my death and my failure. I close my eyes again, this time in acceptance of my life and it's end.

"I see her, sister! This way!" I hear.

"Yes, yes." Another voice. "She is badly injured.."

"She is… we are too late, sister." Anger fills this first voice. "Had we searched right away this would not have happened."

"I am sorry, but can you blame me? It appeared that all had been engulfed."

"Why? Why did you not believe me?! We may well have saved her life, but no. Because of your stubborn nature and refusal to listen we have failed her and very possibly all of the Crystal Empire!"

"Lunisa! How dare you blame me? You know that I would have loved to have helped her, but the weight of the world is not borne by this pony! Likely, she knew nothing of Sombra-"

"I did.. I knew everything…" I speak for the first time. My eyes flutter but they do not open.

"Quickly, you must tell us." The first voice says, the one deemed Lunisa. She is the goddess of the night, the Princess. Her counterpart must be here. She must be the other one…

"Too much.. not enough time… bleeding.." I say, nudging one hoof to my wound.

"Fear not, little one, I will do my best to heal you." For a moment there is silence, but I feel magic, a rejuvenating magic, fill me. I feel it knit me back together, like a rag doll being given a new patch.

"Lunisa, there is too much damage, you said yourself we are too late; you will kill yourself and still lose her!"

"Silence, sister, I… I can do this!" She says, a strain on her voice. I feel my life coming back from the edge of whatever cliff embodies death for me.

"No, you cannot! And I'll not lose you to such a simple spell!" I hear a gasp from one and a grunt from the other, and then the spell is lost, rebounding violently. The wound returns, worse than before, given new additions with the aid of the magic. I cough up a pound of blood, and new tears find their way to my cheeks. I settle back into the snow, pain coursing through me like a wildfire.

"S-sister… How could you? She is _dying_ and you would let her die? Celestia how? How!?" Another grunt, this time from Lunisa.

"How? I do not want to lose you! We have lost mother, father, Discord and Balance! We are all that is left of our family! This pony does not matter as much to me as you do! And I am sorry that it has come to this, but if her death means your life…"

"You are a hypocrite and a liar, sister. At the least, I will comfort her as she dies… and I hope you realize her death is now partially your fault, _as well as_ mine." She says, coming back to hold me. To me, she says: "I am so sorry. I… I tried but I have not the energy to tempt fate again… please understand.."

"I… I do… just…take care of them when….when they…return…I .. I understand, and I d- I… I…I…" I gasp, trying to breathe through the blood, but only silence can I emote.

"Please, please before you go, please tell me your name.. So I may honor you properly for what you have attempted." I hear tears, feel them on my cheek. My name she asks?

"My name? My name is… Q-Quick Sil-Silver.." Another cough sends me choking, but only barely. My body is too weak to resist death now. Too damaged… too tired. "I..I…"

With that my head falls back into her lap, and my soul bids a final farewell to the hungry aching world that ate my life. I fall into darkness. May this world be more peaceful in the future, I pray. May it's hunger be satiated soon. And may my ponies return to find an open world of harmony. All I can say now is that I hope for the best. That, and goodbye.

Goodbye.


End file.
